An analysis of the characteristics of febrile neutropenia: literature review

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of Febrile Neutropenia (NF) in cancer patients. Bibliographic review: Febrile neutropenia is defined as a temperature greater than 38°C associated with an Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) of less than 500 cells/microliter. Patients with hematological malignancy have an 80% chance of having NF during their treatment, while patients with solid tumors have this percentage reduced to 30%. Factors such as the intensity of chemotherapy treatment, use of central catheters and external medical devices, environmental and geographical factors, length of hospital stay may corroborate the severity and duration of neutropenia. Treatment is performed within the first hour with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy for gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Final considerations: Febrile neutropenia is a serious consequence of the treatment of neoplasms, as it means a delay in cancer therapy in addition to the great costs to the health system and representing a risk to the patient's life. In this context, it is essential to train health professionals for this pathology, in addition to taking immediate action with the introduction of antibiotic therapy and carrying out the investigation of the infection site, thus reducing its morbidity and mortality.